


Retrouvaille

by shadeshifter



Series: Writers Block [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), NCIS
Genre: F/M, M/M, Neither is Aaron, Sexual Harrassment, Tony DiNozzo Leaves NCIS Team, Tony's having none of it, character with dementia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2020-05-13 10:12:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19249081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadeshifter/pseuds/shadeshifter
Summary: Retrouvaille: the joy of meeting or finding someone again after a long separation; rediscovery.Aaron Hotchner expects a rather uncomfortable week dealing with his in-laws when he agrees to attend his sister-in-law’s, Jessica’s, wedding. Groomsman Tony DiNozzo might have arrived late in the middle of his own personal crisis, but he provides a most intriguing distraction.  (Inspired by every romance movie from the 90s ever.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A challenge response that I can only apologise endlessly for not finishing, though I hope to change that. Everyone involved was amazing and encouraging, I just wasn't in a space to deal with it at the time.
> 
> I've been struggling to write for the last year and a half. I haven't been in a good headspace at all, so I'm posting what I have in the hopes that it sparks something. Comments requesting that I 'post more please' will be ignored.

Aaron braced himself as he stepped out of the humid heat of Hawaii into the cool, air conditioned air of the hotel lobby. As much as he appreciated Jessica and everything she’d done for him and Jack over the years, the only reason he’d even considered attending her wedding was because of Jack. Jessica might be Jack’s aunt, but she was also the one who’d cared for him, practically raised him even, after Haley’s death. She deserved to have Jack there even if Aaron knew he himself wouldn’t be particularly welcomed by the everyone else.

He looked around, taking in everything in a sweeping glance. There were several families of tourists, another wedding party and several couples, but nothing that particularly stood out to him. Jessica stood at the far end of the reception desk, talking quietly but quickly to one of the staff. He considered interrupting them a moment, but she was undoubtedly hassled enough Instead, he headed straight to the desk and waited for the couple ahead of him to get their key and walk away.

“I’m here for the North-Brooks wedding,” he told the receptionist. “Aaron Hotchner.”

“Of course sir, one moment,” she said with a pleasant, if bland, smile as she turned her attention to her screen. “It looks like the bridal party has been assigned the Amaryllis Chalet. Someone will be along shortly to direct you.”

A chalet. Fantastic. There’d be little chance to escape the accusing stares and furtive whispers that had followed him since Haley’s funeral. But he would put up with it because Jessica deserved this moment, deserved to be happy, and Jack deserved to be involved with his family, regardless of their feelings or Aaron’s.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jessica said, coming up next to them and leaning over to give Jack a hug and a kiss to the top of the head that had him squirming to get out of her grasp. “I’ll show you two where we are.”

“Hi Aunt Jessica,” Jack said, exasperation clear, when she finally released him. She was grinning when she turned to pull Aaron into a hug.

“It’s so good to see you,” she told him softly before slowly releasing him.

“You’re looking good,” he said and it was true. She was practically glowing with happiness, which was nice to see after the strain of the last few years. He knew it didn’t quite work that way, but he felt it was about time something good happened for them.

He hefted his bag further onto his shoulder as he followed her out and deliberately breathed out, easing the tension in his shoulders. She looped her arm in his and leaned into him.

“Dad’s only arriving lunchtime tomorrow,”she told him, giving his arm a squeeze and he suspected she was trying to reassure him that he wouldn’t be immediately faced with playing polite to strangers.

Even knowing that he was revealing his stark relief, he couldn’t help but breathe a full body sigh. The less he had to deal with Roy, the better. Roy had never entirely approved of him, but the divorce and then Haley’s death had irrevocably broken any civility they might have had between them. Roy’s emerging Alzheimer’s hadn’t changed that, only made it more complicated.

They walked in silence for a long moment, the carefully cultivated plants giving way to more wild and lush flora and the stone path becoming more overgrown. Jessica slowed as they passed one of the chalets.

“That’s the Solandra chalet,” she said. “David, his family and his groomsmen will be staying there.”

It looked large enough to comfortably house about a dozen people and Aaron couldn’t help but feel daunted at the week he was facing, but he did what he’d always done; straighten his shoulders, firm his jaw and face the situation head on.

“Our chalet is just ahead,” she told them, and he could see some of her family - a few cousins he recognised, an uncle – milling around on the porch. Jack glanced back at them briefly before darting ahead of them.

“I’m glad you could make it,” she said finally, once Jack had run ahead to greet the rest of the family.

“Of course,” he said. Regardless of how uncomfortable Aaron might feel this week, just seeing her pleasure at them being there was worth it. She gave him an indulgent smile that said she saw right through him and he smiled faintly back.

“David’s friends will only be here tomorrow morning, so it’s just family and my bridesmaids for the moment,” she told him. For a moment, her smile faded and Aaron remembered that she had been Haley’s maid of honour and had probably wanted Haley to be hers. There was nothing he could say to cushion that blow, so he simply nodded and walked beside her in silence.

...

Aaron made his way down to breakfast the next morning a little later than he’d intended, but everything had caught up with him more than he’d expected, not least jet lag. He squinted against the sun and waited a moment for his eyes to adjust as he stepped outside. A long table had been set up and Jessica and her family were set up there along with a number of strangers he assumed had finally arrived from the groom’s side.

Jack was already at the table, chatting happily with his second cousins and whatever other kids had been brought for the week. Aaron was glad to him relaxing and enjoying himself. While he couldn’t quite regret Jack inheriting an insight that Aaron had only developed under a difficult and complicated childhood, he did feel some sorrow that it let Jack see too much, take on too many of the burdens of those around him. To see this, to see Jack could still be just a child, made Aaron consider that maybe he was still doing something right.

“Aaron,” Jessica said, her smile radiant as she leaned into the man sitting next to her.

“David North,” the man said, holding out a hand which Aaron firmly shook. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Aaron Hotchner,” he replied, meeting the other man’s friendly but curious gaze. Aaron could only imagine the mixed opinions David must have heard about him. Some of Haley’s family had been unhappy with him when he decided on the FBI over continuing with law. Some had blamed him solely for the divorce. Some blamed him for her death. He couldn’t hold any of it against them given that it was all true. Perhaps not the entire truth, but true none the less.

He seated himself in one of the empty chairs toward the end of the long table and let the noise of conversation and laughter wash over him. David and his friends teased each other good naturedly, insults and jokes being tossed across the table, and Aaron was reminded of his own team; a family that had grown from shared experiences and common shorthand. He knew that in many ways, a fraternity could profile similarly to a law enforcement unit with the same hazing techniques employed to create in and out groups.

“Where’s Tony?” one of the men asked, something about his carefully controlled demeanour putting Aaron on edge.

“Something about being caught up at work,” David said with a roll of his eyes.

“If that boss of his keeps him in the office, I’m flying back and kidnapping him,” one of the men said.

“It’s probably the only way we’ll get to see him,” another agreed.

“He won’t miss this,” Jessica assured David, resting her hand over his. “Not even for his boss.”

“Unless he’s been infected with a long dead disease or locked up on whatever charge the FBI fling at him this time,” one of them said with a roll of his eyes.

Jessica’s gaze cut back to Aaron’s and she gave him a concerned look, to which he simply shook his head and shrugged. There was no reason she should feel uncomfortable or put on the spot for an offhand comment. Though it did make him curious as to just who this man was.

“Sorry, man,” David said, glancing in Aaron’s direction because Jessica had undoubtedly spoken about him and his profession.

“No problem,” Aaron told him easily, aware that the FBI didn’t always have the best reputation, especially with other agencies.

“It may be safer for the rest of us to leave you to Tony’s mercy,” David said, half apologetically, half far too amused. Aaron wasn’t entirely sure how he should feel about that.

...

Aaron hadn’t intended to be available or even anywhere near when Roy arrived, not just to spare himself, but to avoid causing a scene that would upset Jess. Unfortunately, he’d found himself in the living area of the chalet when Roy and his carer arrived.

“Roy,” Aaron greeted cordially as he stood, intending to excuse himself as quickly as possible. Roy grunted in his direction with a glare. The carer looked on with some curiosity even as she assisted Roy into the room. Roy shook her hands off him with impatience and moved further into the room, leaning heavily on his cane.

“I’ll just get Jess,” Aaron said. “She’ll know which rooms you’re staying in.”

“Thank you very much, sir,” the carer said when Roy just continued to glare at him. 

“I should have expected you to be here,” Roy said finally.

Aaron knew from Jessica that Roy still had mostly good days, but there were more and more bad days. That's why they'd put their money together to hire a full-time carer for him. He'd hardly been happy about it, but Jessica had managed to convince it was the only way to avoid a home.

“Jack is part of the ceremony.”

Roy scoffed, but his expression softened as it always did at the mention of the grandson. Whatever differences they had, Aaron had never denied that Roy loved Jack fiercely and held onto him even tighter since Haley’s death. Roy's devotion to Jack was unquestioned.

“She should have been here,” Roy continued. He didn’t need to name her for them both to know he meant Haley. Every time it was like a punch to the gut, but Aaron couldn’t disagree with him, so he simply took a moment to breathe.

“She should be,” he agreed and Roy scoffed again, turning away. Aaron knew he wanted a fight, wanted an outlet to vent his anger and frustration, but Aaron simply couldn’t give it to him. Not when he already blamed himself for everything that had happened to Haley.

“I’ll go find Jess,” he said again with a nod to the carer as he turned to leave.

“Always walking away, aren’t you? Coward,” Roy yelled after him. Aaron paused his steps for a moment before continuing on without response.

Behind him he heard the door bang open and then a shout of “Grandpa!” and allowed himself to exhale slowly as he continued on.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony arched his back as he stepped out of the cab, trying to ease some of the stiffness he felt after three flights in as many days. He slipped his arm back into its sling, knowing the guys would give him hell if they saw him out of it. Most of them had been on one or other sports team at Ohio State and they all knew the importance of taking proper care of injuries. 

He gave the cab driver his tip when the man got his luggage from the trunk and carried it to Tony’s side. If nothing else, Tony was glad he’d had a foresight to bring a suitcase with wheels because he was still feeling more than a little bruised and battered and he wasn’t entirely sure he could shoulder it at the moment.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take that,” David said, coming up behind him and taking the garment bag from the driver. 

“David,” Tony said, feeling himself unwind properly for the first time in weeks, possibly even months. “It’s good to see you.”

“Glad you could make it,” David told him with a grin, even as his gaze swept over Tony, taking in the scrapes and the sling. 

“It was a near thing,” Tony said, trying to keep his smile, but it really had been a near thing and he hadn’t really believed he wasn’t going to spend the rest of his life in a dingy room in an Israeli prison until he’d touched back down in the States. Less than 24 hours later and he was heading to Hawaii. It felt like he’d barely had a chance to catch his breath, but he needed his brothers and there was no way he was going to miss this. 

“Tony,” David said, dropping his smile as he lead Tony inside. 

The others rose to greet him, all giving him various looks of frustration and concern. None of his brothers had really liked what his job had done to him, Tony knew that, and he wasn’t entirely sure he disagreed with them. Not that it mattered all that much anymore. 

“I quit.”

“What?” Dan said, coming up to take Tony’s bag from him without bothering to ask or wait for an argument. “Why?”

“I can’t...” Tony began, wondering how to begin to explain the last week beyond him just not being able to do it anymore. 

“Let him at least get in the door,” Zack said, pushing a beer bottle into Tony’s hand. David quickly took it away again, giving Zack a glare as he did so and Tony sighed. He really shouldn’t, not on top of medication, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to. 

“It’s good to see you, man,” David told him, leading him into a sitting area and pushing him toward a couch even as he handed off Tony’s suit to Zack.

“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Tony said, letting himself sink into the cushions and actually relax for the first time in he wasn’t sure how long. “Can’t have a wedding without your best man.”

“I don’t have a best man,” David told him with a roll of his eyes, but Tony hadn’t expected any other response. They’d been teasing him mercilessly for not being able to pick just one of them to be his best man. “Although, maybe I should make you best man just for worrying me about not making it.”

“Bring it,” Tony said as he dropped his head back and closed his eyes.

“Sure, stud, as soon as you can keep your feet for more than thirty minutes,” David said, patting his shoulder lightly as he went.

...

Aaron found himself at loose ends when Jessica and her friends took Jack for the day. He’d known David less than a day and was reluctant to try to insinuate himself into the rather close group of friends. His plans so far mostly just included taking a walk around the resort and maybe finding a book store. It had been years since he’d taken a proper holiday and he wasn’t too surprised to realise he had no idea what to do with himself. 

“Hey, FBI guy, you want to join us?” one of David’s friends asked. Aaron turned to see them all dressed in loose-fitting, casual clothes. “We were considering a pick-up game.”

“Let’s see how you measure up,” another asked with a grin. This one had close-cropped, dark hair and dark eyes. 

“I appreciate the thought,” Aaron told him with a faint but distant smile. “But I think I’m just going to take a walk.”

He was tempted, having played occasionally with Morgan, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for the inevitable competition that would result from a group of college athletes getting together. 

“Come on, old man, we promise to go easy on you,” the one who’d spoken first said, grin becoming wider in direct opposition to the doubt and disbelief Aaron was feeling. 

“Don’t believe a word they say,” another man said, coming up behind the group. His hair was a little mussed and his clothes wrinkled like he’d just woken up. Aaron assumed this was Tony, the missing frat brother. Given his condition, it certainly looked like he had an excellent excuse for being late. He couldn’t help the niggling feeling of familiarity that he’d felt when he’d glimpsed the man arriving earlier. “They’re all lying liars who lie.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow at that last comment and Tony smiled at him and winked.

“Traitor,” the first man said, bumping Tony’s uninjured shoulder lightly as he passed. “You sure you don’t want us to stick around?”

“I’m probably just going to take my meds and have a nap,” Tony said, shaking his head. “I’m a big boy. I promise I can look after myself for an afternoon.”

“You say that, but I have yet to see the evidence,” the first said, giving Tony a sceptical look. 

“You think you’re so funny.”

“I know it. But if you end up in a full body cast by the time we come back, I’ll make sure Kathy knows you’re free for Thanksgiving,” he said. 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Tony said with a shudder. “Your wife terrifies me.”

“You and me both,” he said, before giving Tony a wave and heading off with the others. 

“I suppose I owe you thanks,” Aaron said, finally speaking up.

“Least I could do, Agent Hotchner,” Tony said and Aaron would assume that the fact he was FBI had made the rounds, but there was no hesitation in the way it was said and Aaron realised the sense of familiarity was more than just passing.

“You know me.”

Tony gave him a sidelong look, his gaze somehow both coy and uncertain. Aaron breathed in sharply as he realised just where he knew the man from.

“You were one of the better teachers at FLETC,” Tony told him, glancing away as he adjusted his sling.

“You were one of the better students,” Aaron said, remembering him being bright and eager, unconventional and brilliant. He also remembered questions after class, unexpectedly challenging arguments, lingering touches and a temptation he hadn’t experienced before or after. He hadn’t given in, not then, not with Haley to go home to and vows he would never have betrayed. Aaron had done everything he could to put it out of his mind, apparently quite successfully, but that was years ago now.

“I aim to please,” Tony said with a flirty smile that Aaron remembered all too well now, before he cut off and shook his head. “Never mind. I should probably do what I said and take my meds.”

“I wouldn’t mind the company,” Aaron offered. He could see Tony withdrawing and something within him was reluctant to let that happen. “You’d actually be doing me a favour.”

“With my luck, I could use a favour from the FBI,” Tony said with a look that tried at amused but mostly just landed on tired. Aaron regretted asking at all now. It really did look like the man was in need of the rest. “And I could use the exercise. I’ve been far too cooped up for the last week.”

“This a common thing at NCIS?” Aaron asked, glancing at Tony’s injuries as they began to walk along the path, heading generally in the same direction as David and his friends. Tony made a scoffing sound that was more than a little bitter.

“It’s not rare.”

Aaron was silent for a moment as he debated how to respond to that. There were times when he and his team had been injured, it was mostly unavoidable, but it wasn’t anything he’d call common. 

“You’re doing good work?”

“Not any more,” Tony said. “Not since I quit.”

“I’m surprised,” Aaron said. He’d seldom seen recruits more suited for the job than Tony. 

“That’s what happens when you stumble across a treacherous colleague, fight a foreign operative who’s already killed at least one federal agent, and are sent to a foreign country to answer for your so-called crimes while your colleague just gets sent home,” Tony told him, tone deceptively light, but Aaron could read his discontent with the situation in the shadows under his eyes and the way he hunched to protect his shoulder. Aaron watched him in disbelief for a moment, not entirely sure what to think of what he’d just been told. Just what the hell was going on at NCIS? 

“It’s just as well you have that favour to call in then,” was all he could think to say.

“You spoil me,” Tony said, a faint smile easing the intensity of his expression as he gave Aaron a side-long look. 

“You have very low expectations.”

Tony’s smile widened to a grin. 

“That just means I’m easy to please,” he told Aaron.

“Somehow I doubt that.”

Tony slipped his free hand into his pocket and his entire posture eased as he snickered at that. Aaron had never let himself linger on ‘what if’, not when he already had too many regrets, but he found himself considering, just a little, ‘what now’.

...

Tony leant against the porch railing looking out at the sunset. He could hear the laughter and loud voices coming from inside and it made him smile a little, but he didn’t turn to join them. 

Tony wasn’t sure how to feel about Aaron showing up at what Tony was quickly coming to consider a vacation away from his responsibilities and the utter chaos that was his life at the moment. He had realised enough to know that he wasn’t really coping with anything that had happened and was just allowing himself to coast on a wave of numbness that had set in almost as soon as the rush of adrenaline had ebbed. Somehow Aaron was both the distraction he felt he needed and the one more thing that was just too much for him to cope with. 

“We were worried you weren’t going to make it,” Zack said, coming to stand just slightly behind him. Tony turned to face him, uncomfortable with just how close he was, especially given the history between them.

“It was a close call,” Tony admitted. “But I wasn’t going to miss this.”

“Yeah, well, it hasn’t always been the easiest to catch up with you,” Zack told him.

“I guess my schedule is wide open now,” Tony said.

He’d still been coasting the adrenaline rush of facing Ziva and her father, too keyed up to sleep on the plane back when Gibbs had made an offhand comment about seeing him bright and early on Monday and he’d just snapped. He knew his reaction probably had been over the top, but he hadn’t been able to stop his blow up when it happened. He hadn’t regretted it, still didn’t, but he figured that was mostly because of the numbness.

“We should get together for drinks,” Zack said, leaning forward into Tony’s space. Tony shifted away, leaning back on his elbows, trying to put more space between them.

“Sure,” he agreed with a wide grin he didn’t feel.

“We were good together, weren’t we?” Zack asked, resting his hands on either side of Tony. 

“That was a long time ago,” Tony said, putting a hand to Zack’s chest and pushing him firmly back. Zack resisted. 

“I made a mistake back then. I realise that,” Zack told him, resting a hand over Tony’s, as though the act had been affectionate rather than defensive. “I never should have let you go.”

Tony rolled his eyes. They’d been together over a year in college, keeping the relationship hidden the entire time so they wouldn’t have to face the harassment that would inevitably follow. Tony assumed at least some of their frat brothers had guessed, but they never brought it up and neither did Tony. He hadn’t wanted to either when Zack left him so he could live a ‘normal’ life with a ‘normal’ girlfriend. That had been the beginning of Tony’s womanising ways. It had been easier than trying to deal with the abandonment he’d been feeling and simpler than setting himself up for the same rejection again.

“Tony,” he heard Aaron say and shifted in his direction but didn’t fully turn or take his eyes off Zack.

Zack tensed and glared over Tony’s shoulder, clearly wanting Aaron to just disappear, but Tony knew without even looking that Aaron wasn’t going anywhere. Everything he knew about the man from the Academy and from what he’d seen of his career since showed him to be a stubborn and focused agent who never bowed in the face of injustice even if it cost him dearly.

“I was wondering if you knew where I could find a clothing store?” Aaron asked mildly. “I seem to have forgotten to pack swimsuits and I wanted to go first thing in the morning.”

“Sure,” Tony said, still staring hard at Zack. “I’ll show you myself.”

“We’ll talk later,” Zack told him, leaning in and talking softly, intimately, his fingers brushing Tony’s before he stepped back. Tony backed up several steps as soon as Zack was out of his space.

“We’re not the same people we were then, Zack,” Tony said. “And I’m trying not to go backwards.”

He turned and jogged down the stairs before Zack could answer. Zack watched him for a moment before disappearing back inside and Tony couldn’t help but breathe a sigh.

“Thanks,” Tony murmured and Aaron nodded, not even bothering to keep up the charade. He knew there was no way someone as organised as Aaron forgot to pack something like that.

“I was just getting some air,” Aaron said, indicating the path he’d been following.

“Don’t let me keep you.”

Aaron paused for a moment, before he nodded again and continued on his way. Tony took a deep breath and headed in the opposite direction. Aaron wasn’t the only one who needed some air.

...

At breakfast the next day Aaron watched as Zack sat himself the far end of the table, glaring at him as he did so. Aaron didn’t bother humouring him and simply looked away only to catch Tony’s eye as he arrived. Tony smiled at him and immediately headed in his direction. Zack’s grip on his cutlery looked painful. 

“Morning,” Tony told him as he slid into the seat next to him.

“You have any trouble?” Aaron asked, tone light as he deliberately didn’t look in Zack’s direction. Something about the man put him on edge, although he supposed most of it could be put down to his apparent interest in Tony’s whereabouts. 

“Slept like the dead,” Tony said, both intentionally misunderstanding and not directly answering Aaron’s question as he poured himself some coffee before offering Aaron. “So, how exactly are you connected to Jess anyway?”

“She’s my sister in law.”

He left it at that, not wanting to elaborate on the complicated mess that following that line of questioning would bring. He could see Tony’s mind working over the possibilities before he clearly decided to simply put it to one side for now.

“Sorry to drag you into things last night,” Tony told him, glancing in Zack’s direction before cutting the gesture off sharply and looking back at Aaron. “It came out of nowhere.”

Aaron did look at Zack then, because he could guess at what had precipitated the change. Profiling wasn’t something he could just turn off, not even when he wanted to, and he’d learned probably more than he’d ever want to know about the people around him. Not least of which was Zack’s significant marriage problems. No doubt Zack was letting his nostalgia colour the history between them if Tony’s reaction was anything to go by. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Aaron assured him, even though he knew that would hardly stop either of them from thinking about the man one way or the other. Tony gave him a smile that had just a few too many teeth, was just a little too bright to be entirely genuine. 

“I can handle myself.”

“Of course,” Aaron conceded easily, well aware that his insight wasn’t always wanted or, in some situations, needed. Tony had been a detective and a federal agent; no doubt he was as familiar with the signs as Aaron. Still, he couldn’t help but add, “Though it might not be a good idea to dismiss him so easily.”

“I know,” Tony said with a sigh, gaze focused on his empty plate for a long moment before he looked back up at Aaron. “How are the pancakes?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” Aaron said, allowing him to redirect the conversation to something easier. “I went with french toast.”

“Sacrilege," Tony said with a grin that Aaron found himself mirroring with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

“Aaron,” Tony said, striding up to the other man.

“Tony,” Aaron greeted with a faint smile as he turned to look at Tony, gaze darting briefly to take in the entire entourage behind them. There was a brief raise of an eyebrow at being confronted with them all, but his expression quickly smoothed out. “How can I help you?”

“I have it on good authority that Jess has monopolised Jack for the day, and I could use your help,” Tony told him. Brett scoffed, but didn’t speak further when David elbowed him. The others looked amused, though Tony didn’t bother looking in Zack’s direction. He’d left Tony alone since breakfast, but Tony had felt him watching him and he’d been hoping if he ignored him Zack would get the message and leave him alone.

“Of course,” Aaron said, already heading with him down the path. “I’m at your disposal.”

He knocked his good shoulder against Aaron’s, and smiled when the other man looked at him with a curious expression. Aaron smirked back and Tony knew they had both recognised what was going on between them.

“Just your company,” Tony assured him. “How do you feel about a boat ride? They’re going snorkeling and I’m being left to my own devices.”

“We’ve seen the trouble you can get into when left on your own,” Brett said, dark eyes crinkling in amusement even as he tried to frown disapprovingly at him.

“So you keep saying, but somehow I’ve kept myself alive for over 30 years.” Tony turned back to Aaron who seemed to be entertained by their by-play. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Oh please,” Dan said. “The only thing that outstrips your ability to find trouble is your damnable luck.”

“I’ll have you know that I’m just that good,” Tony told him, happily playing up his affront, because unlike his old team, Tony knew that as fast as they were to tease him, they’d be the first to stick up for him if someone else came at him.

“I’m totally going to tell Kathy you do it on purpose,” Dan said and Tony almost whined.

“Come on, man, she’s already going to see my sling when she arrives for the wedding.”

Aaron chuckled almost silently at that and Tony felt triumphant at getting that reaction.

“She might be my wife but it’s every man for himself,” Dan said without any shame. 

Tony couldn't help but envy Dan his relationship with Kathy. Dan joked about it all the time, but they'd stuck together through job loss and cancer scares, through Kathy's father's death and a long and difficult adoption process when they'd found out they couldn't have kids, and it was clear how devoted they were to each other. He wanted a little piece of that for himself.

"Don't worry, Tony," David said, winking at him. "Jess has promised to run interference. No one argues with the bride on her wedding day."

"That is playing dirty," Dan said, pointing at David. "I admire your cunning."

"Your fiance is an angel and you don't deserve her," Tony told David. 

"Oh, I know," David said, nodding easily in agreement. "That's why I'm marrying her before she can change her mind."

Aaron smiled at that and Tony had seen he was close to his sister-in-law, if not the rest of the family. It was no doubt nice to hear that she was appreciated by her soon-to-be husband.

"Good, but you should know if you get cold feet I'm totally stepping in," Brett said and David pouted, sending him a wounded look, though they all knew he wasn't serious. Brett had never been married, but his long-time girlfriend had been killed in a car accident a few years ago and he still wasn't ready to take the leap again. The fact that he could joke about it was a step in the right direction though.

"Ugh," Tanner said, speaking up finally. "Are you all done gossiping or can we go?"

"Alright, alright," David conceded. "But it's my wedding, you're supposed to cater to my every whim."

"As long as your whims include snorkeling some time today," Tanner said with a roll of his eyes.

"Come on, your majesty. I think your subjects are growing impatient," Brett said, giving David a light shove. The man grumbled but continued the way down the path.

“So, you coming?” Tony asked Aaron, posture deliberately at ease and tone off-hand.

“Sure," Aaron said, his expression settling on bemused.

It hadn't taken long to get down to the quay and stow everything they'd need before they set off. Tony had taken the time while the guys geared up to dive to slather himself in sunscreen before finding the best spot on the boat. Tony was glad he'd come along, even if he couldn't join the others in the water. There was something peaceful about being on the ocean, about Aaron's calm and certain presence beside him. He leaned back against the bench and stretched out his legs, smirking to himself when he caught Aaron's gaze sweeping up his body. Aaron flushed faintly at being caught out, but didn't look away.

"So, how's life with the BAU been treating you?" Tony asked.

"The team is doing well," Aaron said. It wasn't really an answer, but given how Tony's own work had been treating him, he wasn't one to push.

"I heard Rossi left the book touring behind to come out of retirement," Tony offered. He'd kept up with the BAU's accomplishments, not because of an interest in Aaron directly, he'd had to put that in a box and put it away years ago, but because Rossi and Gideon had often put out recommendations for supplemental FBI and profiler training, and Reid often published research into profiling techniques that benefitted law enforcement. Inevitably, news of Gideon's departure and Rossi's return had wended its way through Tony's network of contacts.

"It was a little rocky to start, but he's settled into a solid mentor for the team," Aaron told him.

Tony nodded, wondering what else they could talk about, not usually stuck for conversation. He raised a hand to shield his eyes as he looked out over the water. Dan surfaced and watched them for a moment before giving a wave and diving down again only when Tony returned the gesture with a roll of his eyes.

"I can't believe I'm in Hawaii and I'm stuck on the sidelines," Tony said. "The company is the only redeeming feature."

"Not what you had planned for your time off?" Aaron asked, gaze searching Tony's expression, no doubt picking up the tension around his eyes or the way he found himself rubbing at his shoulder when he wasn't consciously thinking about it.

"I didn't actually plan any time off. If I hadn't quit, I wouldn't have come." Tony paused at how that sounded and shook his head. "Not that I didn't want to come. It's just... getting time off work could be difficult."

"Gibbs' reputation is legendary," Aaron said, caught between looking concerned and amused. "It could be worse though."

Tony breathed in deeply, the sea air filling his lungs, and let himself relax under the warmth of the sun.

"True."

This time Aaron gave a short wave when David surfaced to check on them and Tony huffed a resigned sigh.

"They mean well," he said. 

"They're good friends." 

"Better than I deserve," Tony said before he could think better of it. 

"I don't think they'd see it that way. They want you here with them," Aaron said in response, his tone light, but Tony could feel the weight of his gaze. He resisted the urge to squirm under the profiler's too-perceptive scrutiny. He shrugged instead. They were silent for a long moment, not quite uncomfortable but edging into it. 

"Haley would have loved being here," Aaron said finally, tone wistful and sad. When Tony looked at him, he was staring down at his hands in his lap. At his left hand, Tony realised, and the tan-line that had long since faded. "Not with me," he added self-deprecatingly. "We'd split long before... but she'd love to be here with Jess and Jack. She deserves to be here with them."

Tony had heard through DC's law enforcement grapevine about her death and the circumstances surrounding it, but he hadn't known they'd already divorced by then. He wanted to reach out, to console Aaron somehow, but he wasn't sure it would be appreciated at that moment. It felt like it should be inappropriate to comfort the man he was interested in about the death of his wife, but Tony had never particularly cared about the appropriateness of any of his actions so much as the rightness of them. Besides, it was only natural for the man to be pre-occupied with thoughts of her when he was at her sister's wedding. He rested a hand over Aaron's, meeting the man's gaze when he looked up.

"From everything I've heard, from the way Jack's turned out, she seems like she must have been an amazing woman and a dedicated mother," Tony said, not sure what else to say. He was sorry that she'd been taken from her family, but he wasn't sorry that she wasn't with Aaron. He was sorry her death had caused Aaron and Jack pain, but he hadn't actually known her and couldn't feel anything but sympathy and second-hand distress. 

"She was."

Aaron curled his hand around, twining his fingers with Tony's and nodded, taking a moment to gather himself. He finally breathed out and straightened up, but didn't let go of his hand.

"So, you've all known each other since college?" Aaron asked in a blatant attempt to change the subject. Tony let him.

...

Aaron settled in for a late lunch with Tony opposite him as was becoming usual. The moment the other groomsmen had returned to the boat, Tony had drawn away and Aaron let him. Tony had respected Aaron's boundaries, it was only fair for Aaron to respect his in return. Besides, spending time in their company was hardly a hardship. The bonds forged between the men were clearly strong and they had a way of caring for each other without making an issue about it that Aaron admired.

Jack slid into place next to him not too long after when Jess returned. David pulled a laughing and squirming Jess into a hug, even though she’d just returned from her hike and was still damp from the humid environment, and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Did you enjoy your hike,” he asked Jack who nodded and started telling him all about what he’d seen. He pulled out his phone and started showing Aaron photos. Roy and his carer arrived when Jack was just winding down.

"Aaron," Roy greeted, giving him a warm smile that had Aaron frowning in confusion. "How've you been, son?"

"Fine, sir," Aaron said cautiously, glancing at Jess who looked grim and shook her head. Not one of Roy's good days then. He didn't need to look down to her end of the table to know Peter, her and Haley's oldest cousin was glaring at him. Ever since Aaron had moved to the FBI, Peter had resented him. It had only gotten worse with the divorce and Aaron had given up any hope of reconciliation with Haley's death.

"Is Haley still on her way?" Roy asked as his carer led him to his seat. Aaron's breath caught and his chest ached and he didn't need to look at Jess to see her devastation. None of this seemed fair. "That girl could never be on time for anything."

Aaron knew all about valiadation therapy, that playing along would cause less disturbance and confusion, Roy would be less likely to lash out. But he couldn’t bring himself to smile and pretend, not when he knew without a doubt that Roy would not appreciate it from him, not when Jessica was standing there with tears in her eyes. He just couldn’t. He stared down at his plate instead. 

"She's not here yet," Jess answered, her voice cracking briefly before she cleared her throat and continued. "She'll be here later."

He felt like an absolute coward and he hated himself for it, but he’d tried with Roy and he couldn’t blame the man. Not when Aaron was the reason Haley was dead. 

"Maybe we should go take a rest inside," Roy’s carer suggested, gently urging Roy up, but he resisted.

"I don't want to miss Haley," Roy said, gripping the arms of his chair tightly.

"I've heard a lot about her," Tony said softly, glancing briefly again at Aaron as though looking for permission. Aaron simply nodded. "You must be very proud."

"Of course," Roy said, easing his grip and relaxing again. "She's my little girl."

"And Jessica is her sister, right?" Tony asked, even though he knew the answer.

"That's right. And Jack's her son. My only grandkid," Roy said, sending a wide smile in Jack's direction as conversation picked up again around the table. Jack looked troubled at the scene, but he gave Roy a wan smile and Aaron knew he understood as much as he was able at his age. That didn't stop him from putting an arm around Jack's shoulders and briefly pulling him close.

"Your family is a credit to you," Tony assured him with soft sincerity.

"Oh, that was mostly Angela's doing," Roy told him, referring to his late wife. "She was always so good with the girls. Always knew exactly what to say."

“It sounds like they were very lucky to have you both,” Tony said. 

"You know, there was one time when Haley was six," Roy began as Tony paid earnest attention and Aaron allowed himself to breathe out and relax. He looked at Jessica who was smiling faintly now, clearly aware of the story Roy was telling and the fond memories it brought up. 

Tony glanced his way and smiled softly, sympathetically, and Aaron wanted nothing more than to go back to their lazy morning together and maybe do over what he'd been so tempted to do then, with the sun and the waves lulling him until all his worries drifted away. Maybe he'd reach across the space between them and draw the other man to him for a kiss that had waited over a decade. Tony's eyes sparkled as they crinkled and his smile shifted to a smirk and Aaron realised that perhaps his face was showing a little too much of what he was thinking.

He controlled his expression, which made Tony's smirk deepen. Aaron carefully didn't smile in response. There was time enough for them, Aaron thought. Tony gave every indication that they were on the same page and he was looking forward to seeing where it might take them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally Roy was going to think it was Haley's wedding, but that was beyond tragic and I was irrevocably breaking Hotch and Jessica, so I scrapped that.


End file.
